Airfield lighting systems are designed to provide visual cues and/or signals for an airfield (e.g., runways, approach areas, and/or taxiways of the airfield) in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and/or Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards. Current airfield lighting systems typically use halogen, filament, and/or light emitting diode (LED) light sources for airfield runway lamps, and are typically wired in a series configuration. If one lamp fails or shuts down, there is a need to shunt that lamp to prevent an entire string of airfield runway lamps from shutting off, and/or to maintain lamp intensity in the remaining functioning lamps.
Current approaches for shunting an airfield runway lamp include using an electronic switch such as a triode for alternating current (TRIAC) to shunt the lamp. However, using an electronic switch such as a TRIAC to shunt an airfield runway lamp can lead to a large drop in voltage across the TRIAC element, as well as a significant power dissipation. Additionally, when using LED light sources, which may use a very low amount of power, electronic switches such as a TRIAC can lead to current flowing through the airfield runway lamp despite the lamp being shunted, which may be against federal regulatory guidelines.